Chicken with Thai Basil and Chilies

Serves 2-4

Time: 20 minutes with prep

One of the best things about eating hot and spicy food is that if you have the the right amount of spice, it heightens the flavour of the whole dish which is why I love Thai cuisine. Not to mention the many beneficial qualities of capsaicin, the key element of hot pepper. Capsaicin has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties that have been used for centuries: an old remedy that rarely fails for achy muscles is a topical cayenne rub and some say a headache is eased by ingesting fresh hot peppers.  Beyond that, eating spicy food usually means you eat less, which is handy if you are watching your portion sizes. Just beware if you're prone to heartburn, you could be counting antacids in the night instead of sheep.

This dish is quick and easy to prepare and can be modified to suit a vegetarian diet by exchanging the chicken for tofu. I used chicken thighs that I de-boned and skinned (rather haphazardly I must say) so that the chicken would remain moist and flavourful. If you're a white meat fan, you could easily exchange the thighs for breast meat, but be careful not to overcook it. If anyone knows a quick and effective way to skin and de-bone a thigh, I would love to hear it.

Using Thai basil is the best bet for this recipe and is usually found fresh at Asian supermarkets. Thai basil has a sharper taste and a more earthy flavour than the basil one would normally use for Italian dishes. It has smaller, more pointed leaves and distinct purple stems that have less anise notes and I would say a more "peppery" quality than the usual garden variety basil. It does make a difference in this dish, and also compliments pork quite well.

A good rule of thumb with the accompanying garnishes is to have them on the table for each person to enhance their serving to taste. You can even dole out additional portions of fish sauce on the table, and I dare say sliced chilies for those who really want to feel the burn.

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil, or high smoke-point oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 fresh red Thai chilies, sliced
• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup green beans, sliced in 5mm pieces
• 2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped

Garnish with: chopped peanuts, sliced green onion, and quartered lime

1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium-high to high heat. To test the temperature of the oil, toss in a few pieces of garlic. If they instantly bubble and sizzle, the oil is ready. If the garlic browns it is too hot.

2) Add the garlic and chilies to the oil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. The chilies will pale slightly in colour.

3) Add the chicken and keep stirring. Cook for two minutes before adding the green beans.

4) When the green beans begin to soften, add the oyster and fish sauce, stirring all the while.

5) Finally, stir in the Thai basil until it wilts. The green beans should still have a subtle crunch in texture when the dish is finished.

6) Serve on a bed of jasmine rice and garnish with the chopped peanuts, sliced green onion, and a squeeze of lime.

Spaghetti with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Serves 2-3
Time: 30 min

This is a simple vegetarian pasta dish that doesn't take a lot of time and makes for nice leftovers (if you have any). The goat cheese is lovely to stir in as you eat it, it adds a nice contrast to the tomato and gives a hint of creaminess.

A twist on this recipe is to swap the black olives with kalamata, and goat cheese for feta. The dish will be saltier so adjust the seasonings accordingly. I made enough of this to have a few lunches leftover, but by the third day it needed dressing up. I added a healthy spoonful of cream cheese just before reheating it which helped add richness to an otherwise light dish.

This type of recipe is wide open for experimentation beyond my suggestions so have fun with it. And remember, don't ever, ever rinse your pasta or overcook your noodles!

• 250g dry whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 red chili or 2 pinches of red chili flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups washed baby spinach
• 1.5 cups strained or crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup  black olives
• 200g plain goat cheese

1) Heat a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion.

2) When the onion is softened, add the oregano and season the onions well with salt and pepper. Add the chili and cook for 2 minutes.

3) Add the spinach and stir well until it wilts. Season the cooked spinach with salt and pepper.

4) Pour in the tomatoes and stir well. When it starts to bubble, add the olives, sir and reduce the heat. Let simmer on low heat for at least 10 minutes before starting the pasta.

5) Fill a large pot with cold water and add a generous amount of salt. Seawater-salty water brings out the best in your pasta and helps flavour the whole dish.

6)Add the spaghetti when the water reaches a rolling boil and prepare according to package directions.

7) Drain the pasta when it reaches al dente, reserving about a cup of pasta water.

8) Return the pasta to the empty pot and place on high heat after stirring in the sauce. Stir well, adding a about a half cup of pasta water in small amounts as it cooks. Cook, while tossing the noodles, until enough liquid has absorbed into the pasta without overcooking, about 2-3 minutes.

9) Serve with crumbled goat cheese on top and fresh ground pepper. Buon Appetito!

Split Pea Splendor

Split Pea Soup with Ham
Serves: 6
Cooking Time: ~2 hours

Even though ham is not my go-to meat when it comes to special occasions, a beautiful smoked bone-in ham has many benefits beyond the buffet. Ham leftovers are so versatile you could dedicate a whole blog to its scraps, but today I'll focus solely on the benefits of the bone: split pea soup.

A cloudy day meal, split pea soup summons warmth and heartiness that I feel is unparallelled by other soups. Thick and rich, it can be made iin a variety of ways to suit your tastes and dietary needs. For me, it's the best excuse for buying a smoked bone-in ham and it's always on my agenda when I make the trip to the butchers for something smoky and festive. For an Easter ham it's the perfect resurrection of the feast days afterwards(minus a few slices for a ham sandwich or an omelette).

Dry split peas will vary depending on what you buy. Normally I don't soak my peas overnight, but unsoaked peas need to cook longer to soften them just so. The bone is key but it seems best to comb the remaining cooked ham off of the bone before making the soup to avoid over-salting. Use low sodium broth since the saline quality of the ham bone will season it well and additional salt can be added at the end so that the peas don't disintegrate entirely. Alternatively, for a vegetarian dish, forgo the ham and bone and use only vegetable stock, then toss in a generous handful of frozen peas at the end of cooking to brighten up the works. Summer is on the horizon, so slurp away on this foggy-day classic as everything prepares to bloom.

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups green split peas, picked and rinsed well
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 leftover ham bone
1 cup cooked ham, chopped
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2-4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
2  tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt

1) In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until softened.
2) Add pepper and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
3) Add the split peas and bay leaves and stir for another 2 minutes.
4) Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of the vegetable stock.
5) Place the ham bone in the soup and stir.
6) Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low, and let simmer.
7) If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable stock in small amounts and stir.
8) When the peas reach the desired consistency, about 1.5-2h, remove from heat.
9) Remove the ham bone and bay leaves. Add the chopped ham to the soup and stir well.  Season with salt if needed.
10) Serve hot with croutons or crusty bread. Leftovers will freeze well for future indulgences.

Patates au Gratin

Over the years I've had plenty of Sunday dinners at other people's houses and been served a variety of good meals. In my own kitchen it's become the best meal of the week given I can spend time preparing something a little more labour-intensive, something a little more special. Typically when I think of a solid Sunday, I think of waking up after 9, having a long, leisurely breakfast, the sound of the washing machine and the smell of something roasting in the oven in the afternoon, and maybe a bath before bed. Not only a day of rest, but most often a day of roast.

The standard Sunday formula seems to involve a large cut of meat, likely oven-roasted, served with potatoes and vegetables. A juicy Baron of Beef, cooked to medium rare-perfection, with smoothly mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of steamed broccoli. Or, a whole chicken with roasted potatoes and a chopped green salad. And ham? Well, for me, ham is not my first choice for a roast for some reason, even though the leftover possibilities are seemingly endless, the prospect of a big ol' slice of ham is just a bit boring.

So what kind of potato can dance with the pig? Scalloped potatoes, or patates au gratin is a delicious, rich and creamy dish that dresses up and compliments a roasted ham. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cheese and cream and baked until golden brown. As it bakes, it makes its own creamy sauce that is wickedly rich. It takes a little preparation but it bakes up nicely, looks beautiful, and smells like a Sunday all by itself. Served with a crisp green salad it also makes a great lunch on Monday.

I remember eating a family dinner at my cousin's house years ago and out of the oven came a big beautiful casserole dish of scalloped potatoes. They were bubbly on top, and thick and cheesy all the way through and I was hooked. I was impressed with the culinary prowess in that kitchen, and asked for the recipe. Now that I have it, I save it for special occasions and have deemed it a "secret family recipe" for more reasons than one. This is not that recipe.

I made this recipe in ramekins, so that I could try a couple of things and have single servings, so you can adjust it accordingly depending on how many servings you would like.

For one serving:

• 3  small to medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes (or other starchy potato), sliced 2 mm thick, with or without skin
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 shallot, diced

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2)Take 1/2 tablespoon of butter and grease the ramekin.
2) Pour a small amount of cream in the bottom of the ramekin.
3) Place about a third of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the ramekin, overlapping the slices in an even layer.
4) Top the potatoes with a 1/3 of the shallots . Sprinkle a third of the remaining cream over top. Then top with 1/3 of the feta, and 1/3 of the cheddar. Salt and pepper the layer generously.
5) Continue layering in this way with potatoes, cheese, and cream until you have a few layers and are ending with the last of the cheese. Before sprinkling the last of the cheddar on top, cut up the remaining butter and distribute it evenly over the last layer. Finally add the rest of the cheddar to top the dish, ensuring the potatoes are mostly covered.
6) Bake for about 1h and 20 minutes. Should it brown too quickly, cover the ramekin with foil until the last 20 minutes of cooking. Let stand for ten minutes before serving. Be careful not to slop on your Sunday best!

Cauliflower Butter Curry

Serves 4

Cooking time including preparation is about 1 hour

Lately with the weather being very drippy it seems like the best way to spend an afternoon tucked indoors is to have a hot bowl of curry in hand. Cauliflower and curry combinations are quite popular in Western Indian cuisine, but not having tried making one myself yet, I decided to whip up a version similar to a recipe I learned for Butter Chicken. Tomatoes round out this dish so beautifully that my eyes popped with delight as I tasted the result.  It's seven basic ingredients and quick to prepare so I suggest giving this one a try if you're in the mood for a smooth silky veggie curry. It can also be served as a bold side dish without rice or it can accompany other curry dishes.

I decided to use salted butter instead of ghee for this one because I wanted creaminess in the sauce to take a little acid off of the tomatoes and make it quicker to prepare. You may want to use low-sodium chicken broth since broths and canned tomatoes vary quite a bit these days in sodium levels. Taste the sauce halfway through cooking and add salt if necessary but be careful not to over-season it. When I made this I added a sliced fresh Thai chili when cooking the onion to really make it zing, so toss one in if you don't want to walk on the mild side.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into 3" florets
• 6-8 nugget potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 1 tablespoon madras curry powder
• 1 398mL can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

1)Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat.
2) Add the chopped onion and stir until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
3) Sprinkle the curry powder over the onion. If you prefer a milder version, use less than a tablespoon.
4) Stir the curry and onions together to roast the spices. Cook for at least a minute until very fragrant.
5) Add the potatoes to the pot and stir to get them cooking. After about 2 minutes, add the cauliflower, stir and cook an additional minute or so. Make sure not to burn the curry!
6)Stir in the can of tomatoes and pour in the chicken stock until the vegetables are covered in liquid. Mix well and allow to boil.
7) When the curry begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are finished.
8) Serve piping hot over rice and/or with naan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Tastes even better after a night in the fridge!

Pad Thai

Serves 4

Thailand has the rest of Asia beat for food, as far as I'm concerned. Spicy, sweet, and full of fresh flavours, the cuisine of Southeast Asia is simpler to make than you might think. This popular dish has all the hallmarks of Thai cooking: oyster sauce for sweetness, fish sauce for saltiness, and lime for sour. The peanuts and bean sprouts add a bit of crunch and the chilies kick it into drive so if you dare, dress it with more. Traditionally Thai kitchens will serve sliced chilies in a small amount of fish sauce for the garnish which is my favourite way to top off the dish, but it's a hot tongue that can handle that much heat.

The best way to make Pad Thai is with fresh  prawns, but since not all of us are blessed with fresh ocean treasures nearby, you can substitute with good-quality frozen prawns in the shell. When making this dish on the prairies, I thaw the frozen prawns in cold water and remove the shells. I then boil the shells in a small amount of salt water for 20 minutes and save it as stock for say, Tom Yum soup or even a Vietnamese Pho. Your belly will be as happy as a Buddha's once you enter the exotic world of SE Asian cooking.

• 2 tablespoons oil (sesame is best but canola also works, must be a high-smoke point oil)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red Thai chili, sliced
• 1 lb chicken, sliced or whole prawns.
• 1/2 block of packaged medium firmness tofu, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs
• 1 package wide rice noodles
• 5 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 generous handfuls of washed bean sprouts

 Garnish with:

• Chopped peanuts
• Sliced green onion
• Lime wedges
• Fresh sliced chilies and fish sauce

1) Prepare the rice noodles by boiling for 2-3 minutes until mostly cooked. Alternatively, soak the dry noodles in cold water for 20-30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat the oil in a large wok  on medium-high heat.
3) Add a pinch of garlic to the oil. The oil is at the right temperature when the garlic bubbles but doesn't burn.
4) Add the garlic and chili, stirring quickly. Cook for 1 minute.
5) Add the chicken or prawns and cook nearly through.  If using fresh prawns be careful not to overcook.
6) Stir in the tofu and cook for 1-2 minutes.
7) Throw in the rice noodles and stir quickly. Add the oyster sauce and fish sauce, tossing the ingredients well.
8) Spread the ingredients to the outer edges of the pan to make room in the centre.
9) Crack the eggs into the centre and scramble until cooked.
10) Stir everything together and toss in the bean sprouts.
11) Cook an additional few minutes so that the bean sprouts are heated but not wilted.
12)Place the peanuts, limes, chilies and fish sauce in separate bowls  so that each person can garnish to their liking. Serve and enjoy!

Perogy Party

After New Year's Day, January feels slow and dull. The excesses and excitements are over so the entire month starts to feel like the reluctant cleaning-up chore the day after a boisterous house party. However, there's still another Christmas to celebrate before the fun funnels away. Ukranian Christmas is the perfect time to keep the party going with friends and festivities, and of course, food.

My Ukranian friend and I have been talking about making perogies for months, so it seemed the right time to make a pile of those delicious pillowy treats. She would provide the know-how, myself and a few other friends would be the students (and provide support as "pinchers"). We assembled on a Saturday afternoon to make plans for perogies, and poured the wine. Let the party begin.

We decided to make three batches, so at 50-75 perogies per batch, we were going to be making a lot to divide between our respective freezers (minus a whack to enjoy for dinner that evening).  The recipe is simple but the possibilities for fillings are limitless; the standard is potato and cheese, but all kinds of combinations can tuck inside. Herbs, sour cream, onion, bacon, chive and much mores can be paired with the potato, but it doesn't stop there. Potato can be substituted with yam or sweet potatoes and perhaps a little brown sugar to make a sweeter treat. Too, a breakfast version where the perogies are filled with fruit or jam is a delicious option as well. For us, we wanted to make something on the traditional savoury side and opted for potato and cheese and some with plain sauerkraut. My friend was sharing this expertise of traditional perogy production with us, and we eager to participate (and even more eager to eat them).

We enjoyed the fruits of our efforts that night and took home more to enjoy again later. All in all it was a great day to kick the January doldrums aside. Appetizer alone or served with bacon and fried onions, perogies are delicious any way they appear. Allow about 8-10 perogies per person for a meal.

For the filling (one batch):

We made cheddar cheese and potato, and also plain with drained sauerkraut, but those are merely jumping-off points. The filling shouldn't be too wet, and the perogies shouldn't be overstuffed as they won't cook evenly and risk bursting when boiled.

• 2 lbs yellow flesh or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup orange cheddar cheese (for colour)
• 1 and 1/2 cups aged white cheddar
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 whole cloves garlic (with husks on)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1)In a medium pot, add the potatoes and cover with cold water. Salt the water well and heat on high heat.
2)When boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes or until soft.
2) In the meantime, heat the oven to 400 degrees F, and coat the garlic cloves with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake, wrapped in a tinfoil,  for 20-30 minutes until soft.
3) Drain the potatoes and add the cheese, butter, cream, and and  roasted garlic. Mash well until smooth. Use a a stand mixer to whip them for an even smoother finish, and adjust the flavour as you desire, adding  herbs or more cheese if necessary. For us, tasting and sampling the mash mix was one of the best parts. It seems the whole process could stop right here!
4) Cover and set aside to cool.

For the dough:

• 500g full fat sour cream
• 4 cups unbleached flour

1) In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and most of the flour, mixing with a spoon until it sticks together.
2) Use your hands to further mix the dough, if it becomes too sticky, add more flour in small amounts.
3) When the dough is smooth enough without sticking, roll out on a floured, flat surface using a rolling pin.
4) Roll out the dough until it is about 5mm thick. Add more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
5) Using a sharp paring knife cut the dough into rectangular strips, about 8cm by 6cm.
6) Pick up a piece of cut dough and place it in the palm of your hand. Using a small spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling  into the centre.
7)Take one long-ended corner of the dough and press it to the opposite long-ended quarter of the dough to create a triangle. Pinch the dough corners together.
8)Pinch the remaining edges of the dough together firmly around the filling, making sure it is sealed well. The shape should resemble a boomerang or a half-moon.
9) Repeat until all pieces of dough  are filled and pinched . Continue to roll out the remaining dough edges into new pieces until no more can be made.
10) Place the fresh perogies on a floured baking pan and cover with a tea towel so they do not dry out. If freezing the perogies, keep them covered for a day before freezing.
11) To prepare, fill a large pot with cold water and add salt. Bring to a boil.
12)Gently add the perogies one at a time  to the boiling water.
13) When the perogies float on the surface of the water for about a minute, they are ready.
14) Rinse with cool water to prevent sticking and serve with fried onion, bacon bits, sour cream and sauerkraut (see my homemade sauerkraut recipe in the Schnitzel section of this blog).
15) Alternatively, perogies can be fried in butter (or bacon fat) from frozen or after being boiled for a golden brown, crispy texture.

Savour the soft and hearty treats with a lager or chardonnay. Delicious.